FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)
Title of invention: Mechanism to enable plug-and-play hardware components for semi-automatic software migration
Applicant
KPIT Cummins Infosystems,
35 and 36, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park,
Phase 1, MIDC, Hinjawadi, Pune-411 057, India
The following specification describes the invention.

Field of the invention
This invention is related to computer and other electronic systems and particularly to processors and other hardware devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to mechanisms and systems to overcome the processor and hardware obsolescence problem encountered in their use in computer and electronic systems.
Background of the invention
Processors or microprocessors and other hardware devices that form part of computer or other electronic systems are constantly evolving with newer and higher configurations replacing the older ones. This leads to a compatibility problems between the older and newer components and are therefore a hindrance in the plug-and-play adaptation of processor and other hardware devices. Also when one intentionally has to migrate to a new microprocessor, the entire software code of has to be rewritten to suit the new processor. Methods and systems to overcome the problem has been cited in the prior art. One of the methods that are used to overcome this problem is the porting or rewriting of complete software or pieces of software for new hardware or processor. It may also involve configuring other hardware and/or software components to suit the new processor or hardware component. Another method that has been used to overcome this problem is the emulation of the obsolete processor by means of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Another method is to implement hardware abstraction layer in the software design to minimize the efforts to port the software for the new processor. The methods and systems of the prior art have not been able to satisfactorily address the said problem.
The current inventors have come up with mechanisms and systems to overcome the said problem of processor and hardware obsolescence and software incompatibility of different microprocessors and hardware components/devices. The present invention provides for mechanisms and systems for addressing the problem of obsolescence of processors and other hardware and thus a

mechanism to enable the plug-and-play of processors or other hardware
components differing in configuration. The present invention also provides for
devices and process for the conversion of existing software suited to one
processor or hardware device to another processor or hardware device.
The invention provides the advantage of long-term, automated end-to-end
solution for plug-and-play of processors and other hardware
devices/components.
Brief description of the drawings
Fig 1 illustrates one way in which current invention can be performed. (7) represents an embedded system or a computer system. New processor (1) initiates advertisement of own architecture and features to conversion system (3). The conversion system (3) may be a separate device or an embedded device within the same system. Conversion system (3) converts software components to suit new processor (1). (2) represents old processor, (4) represents the memory of the system (7), (6) represents the old application and (5) represents the new or modified application.
Brief description of the invention
The present invention provides for mechanisms and systems to address the problem of processor and other hardware component obsolescence. The invention would provide for the enablement of plug-and-play of processors and other hardware components differing in hardware and/or software configuration.
According to the present invention, the system or mechanisms comprises of a process where the processor or other hardware device/components advertises or exchanges its architecture and other features to other software, processor or hardware device/components. The exchange process may be either initiated by the first processor or hardware device/components or the second processor or hardware device/components.

How to advertise architecture and features and what to advertise as features of processor or other hardware component is flexible. It employs that the formatting, encoding and method of exchanging information is flexible. The architecture advertised by the processor or hardware device/component may be but not limited to the number of registers, names of registers, size of each register, size of address bus/data bus, pin configuration of the processor, range of memory it can handle, types of memory models supported by the processor, number of interrupts and their types supported by the processor. The advertisement of the architecture may be complete or partial. The processor or hardware device/component may also advertise some or all of its software as its feature.
The invention additionally comprises of a device that can be plugged-in to a computer or embedded system and which then converts the software components of the processor or hardware device/components to suit the other processor or hardware device/component.
The plug-in referred to in this specification can be achieved by but not limited to wiring, soldering, socketing or wireless means.
The invention additionally comprises of a new method for the conversion of
existing software that is suited to one processor or hardware device/component
to suit a different processor or hardware component/device.
The method mentioned above for the conversion of the software may be
software running on the system which receives the input from one processor or
hardware device/component and then modifies the software applications that
already exist on the system to be able to execute on the new processor. The
said converter software may be running on a separate Integrated Circuit.
The said converter software may modify the existing source code and/or
generate some new code to exploit new processor features by an application
that would run on it.
The processor can communicate with memory and the conversion system and
also the conversion system can communicate with processor and memory.
The same technique can be applicable for plug-and-play of any hardware
devices used as peripherals as well. For example, plug-and-play of new LCD

device would need that the new device advertises its features such as resolution, dimensions, pin configurations, etc to software component that would use it.